Just a Breath Away

by Carlene Thompson

  ‘I see.’ Kelsey took the menu Janet offered as her eyes widened. ‘Janet, have you just got married?’ she asked, staring at the gold band on the third finger of the young woman’s left hand.

  ‘I’ve been married for almost three years. I don’t always wear my wedding ring, but when I do I usually wear it on my right hand because I’m left-handed and the ring bothers me.’

  Kelsey started to say that she’d never seen the ring on Janet’s right hand either, but the argument died in her throat when she looked into Janet’s big hazel eyes and saw the plea to believe her. Kelsey wasn’t going to press for the truth. It was none of her business.

  ‘Well, it’s very pretty, Janet.’

  Janet looked relieved, although she said, ‘It’s just a plain, skinny thing. But it’s real gold. At least, I think it is.’

  ‘I’m sure it is.’ Kelsey smiled. ‘I don’t need the menu. I’ll have a grilled cheese sandwich.’

  ‘That all? Not your usual turkey and bacon with French fries?’

  ‘I’m not in the mood for meat. But I’ll have coleslaw too. And a Coke.’

  ‘I’ll be back in no time with your lunch.’ Janet looked at Kelsey almost shyly. ‘It’s good to have you here for lunch again, Miss March.’

  ‘It’s good to be here. And it’s Kelsey.’

  Janet smiled at her and rushed away from the booth as if the order was for an impatient, demanding customer. In less than a minute, Rick Conway stood beside the booth. ‘Hello, Kelsey,’ he said in his deep, slow voice. ‘May I sit down for a few minutes?’

  ‘Of course.’

  He slid into the booth and smiled at her. ‘You look good.’

  ‘No, I don’t. I have dark circles under my eyes and I’m too thin.’ She paused. ‘But thank you anyway.’

  ‘I was very sorry to hear about what happened to your grandfather. So was Janet.’

  ‘We got your flowers. Dad and I were touched.’

  ‘Well, we’d met your grandfather at Lorelei’s …’

  ‘It’s OK to say funeral.’

  ‘All right. Anyway, we’d met him and he was such a kind man. We couldn’t come because Sunday was Derby Day and we had to stay open.’

  ‘Really, Rick, it’s fine. As for the reception after Lori’s funeral … Grandfather wasn’t himself. A year ago, he was fine. But the last three or four months his physical health started going downhill and he began having a few memory lapses. After Lori’s murder – well, you saw how he was. The morning of the funeral, he thought Stuart was someone who’s been in prison for years. He thought you were a boyfriend of my grandmother’s named Milo.’

  ‘So Milo really existed?’

  ‘Yes. He asked my grandmother to marry him. She turned him down, but Grandfather always felt he’d had a close call.’ Kelsey paused, smiling. ‘I’ve seen a picture of Milo in my grandmother’s old photo album. He was tall and slender and you look a little bit like him, but it was your dark curly hair that caught Grandfather’s eye. Milo’s hair was just like yours. I think Grandfather had always been jealous of that hair!’ Her smile faded. ‘Seeing you at the reception was the third time in the last couple of months Grandfather thought he saw Milo. Each time he told us we brushed it off, trying to ignore what was happening to him. Thank you for going along with him at the reception. That night before he went to bed …’ Kelsey’s throat tightened but she swallowed and went on. ‘That night he realized he’d made a mistake. He said you were too young to be Milo.’

  Rick looked at her solemnly, his brown eyes with their long dark lashes full of compassion. ‘I don’t know many details of what happened to your grandfather except that there was a fire and he passed away—’

  ‘He didn’t pass away. He burned to death in a raging fire.’ Kelsey’s hands began to tremble. She put her elbows on the table and clasped her hands tightly. ‘Grandfather had begun wandering at night. And that night … well, at first we thought he’d accidentally set fire to the barn when he was trying to light a lamp with kerosene. But he hadn’t. The fire investigators found evidence of arson by someone who knew what they were doing. Whoever it was must have thrown kerosene over Grandfather when he was freeing the horses. They’re fine, but Grandfather—’

  ‘You don’t need to go into upsetting details, Kelsey.’ Rick reached across the table and grasped one of her trembling hands. His was large and steady. He rubbed his fingers over her cold palms. The gesture was almost intimate but she didn’t pull away. His dark brown gaze seemed to wrap her in a warm, sympathetic blanket. ‘Would you like a drink, Kelsey?’

  ‘No. I’ve gone back to work. I don’t want to arrive drunk this afternoon.’

  ‘Just a glass of wine?’

  She shook her head, smiling. ‘I’d like to think I can get through one afternoon without the help of medication or alcohol.’

  ‘OK.’ He grinned and winked at her. ‘Always the tough girl.’

  Kelsey sniffed and, desperate to change the subject, said, ‘I didn’t know Janet was married.’

  Rick suddenly looked unhappy. ‘Yeah. His name’s Joey and he’s bad news. I don’t like him to come in here. He starts arguments with Janet and just generally upsets her. He did it a few times when we first opened. Now we seem to have lost his business, thank God.’

  ‘Didn’t he object to her coming to Lorelei’s funeral with you?’

  ‘He was out of town on – I quote – “important business,” though no one except Janet knows what it is he does for a living. He didn’t know she came to the funeral.’

  ‘I wonder why she stays with him.’

  Rick looked at her steadily. ‘He’s quick with the slaps and an occasional punch in the abdomen.’

  ‘That’s terrible!’

  ‘It sure is, but I’ve been told battered women often stay with boyfriends or husbands until they’re suddenly ready to leave. I suppose Janet isn’t ready.’

  ‘That’s hard for me to understand.’

  ‘Just try understanding fear. It’s a great motivator.’

  ‘Oh, I feel so bad for her.’ Kelsey hesitated then plunged on. ‘Rick, why do you think Vernon Nott came here so often? There were bars closer to where he lived, but it seems he always came here.’

  Rick’s gaze wandered as he slowly frowned. ‘I’ve thought a lot about that. I believe he liked the tavern atmosphere. He always paid attention when people played the piano and sang. He seemed to enjoy it.’ He paused. ‘He also seemed to like Janet. He even smiled at her.’

  ‘You mean he had a crush on her?’

  Rick smiled. ‘Well … in a way. I know that’s hard to believe considering his assault record. Detective Pike told me he’d actually shot a girlfriend. I didn’t know anything about his background before the investigation, and Janet didn’t say anything about him being inappropriate with her. She looks younger than she is and she’s not the least bit flirtatious – he seemed to treat her like a sweet little kid. Still, I didn’t feel comfortable with her being his waitress and moved her to a different section. He didn’t follow – he always stayed in the same area of the bar near the piano, so maybe Janet didn’t mean a thing to him. I think I made the right decision, though.’ He wiped a hand over his face. ‘What am I saying? The right decision would have been to ban him from this place.’

  ‘He never caused any trouble, and you didn’t know about his past. And you couldn’t have imagined what he would do to Lori.’

  ‘That’s generous of you, Kelsey, but I feel responsible for what happened to your sister. Nott didn’t seem right to me. I should have trusted my intuition and checked up on him. I now know he’d done time in prison for assault on a woman – or rather, women. I could have found a record of that if I’d tried hard enough. Why the hell didn’t I try?’

  ‘You can drive yourself crazy thinking that way, Rick,’ Kelsey said gently. ‘You mustn’t do it, just as I can’t keep beating myself up because I brought Lori here. It won’t change anything. It will just destroy us.’

  �
�I guess so,’ Rick said reluctantly, then looked troubled. ‘A guy has been here a couple of times asking questions about you and about that night. He said his name is Declan Adair. I saw him at the reception after your sister’s funeral, but I don’t think I heard his name. He has blonde hair and blue eyes—’

  ‘I know who he is,’ Kelsey said abruptly. Rick looked at her questioningly, but she didn’t want to explain that he was the half-brother of a man with whom her sister was having an affair.

  ‘You know he’s a private detective?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Do you know who he’s working for?’

  ‘Maybe,’ Kelsey said carefully. ‘I’m not sure.’

  Rick frowned. ‘This is none of my business, but you don’t seem surprised he came here looking for information.’

  ‘Wouldn’t this be the natural place to come if he wanted to know about that night?’ Kelsey drew a breath. ‘Detective Pike knows about him.’

  ‘I see. Pike checked out Adair and gave his blessing to him nosing into the case? That’s why you’re so calm?’

  ‘Pike didn’t necessarily give his blessing. He just looked into Adair’s background and no obvious alarm bells went off.’

  ‘How do you feel about Adair insinuating himself into the investigation?’

  ‘If he was hired to find out what happened to Lori—’

  ‘What happened to her? Vernon Nott killed her!’

  ‘I guess someone wants to know why he killed her and they’re not confident the police will discover the truth.’ Or else someone wants to make sure the police don’t discover who hired Vernon, Kelsey thought, and possibly who killed my grandfather.

  ‘They don’t think Nott was just nuts?’

  ‘Probably. That’s why I’m not upset about Adair.’ Which was an absolute lie. Kelsey was furious. Why was Declan Adair sneaking around asking questions? How dare he? What did he hope to find out? How much Lori had said about Cole Harrington? Was he making certain his brother was clear of suspicion in Lori’s murder? Was he protecting Cole and his wife?

  ‘Well, I didn’t answer very many of Adair’s questions, especially about you,’ Rick said tensely.

  ‘I appreciate that.’

  ‘So you’re really not concerned about Adair? You don’t care if he comes here asking more questions?’

  ‘Not really,’ Kelsey lied again. Then added, ‘Maybe you could just say you’ve told him all you know.’

  ‘That would be the truth.’ Rick’s brown eyes probed her face. She knew he sensed she wasn’t being open and felt slightly ashamed. Still, he said mildly, ‘OK. I just wanted you to know about him.’

  ‘Thanks for being concerned.’

  Suddenly, their gazes met and held for a moment. Kelsey thought she saw affection in Rick’s. She was touched more than she would have guessed possible. Then he glanced to the left. ‘Here comes your lunch.’ Janet approached the booth carrying a tray and set down the cheese sandwich and coleslaw and a Coke. ‘That’s not what I’d call a hearty meal.’

  ‘It’s what I want.’

  ‘Sure you wouldn’t like to have a glass of wine?’

  ‘I’m sure.’

  ‘Good enough. I’ll leave you to enjoy your lunch. But Kelsey?’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Don’t be a stranger here. And if there’s anything I can do for you—’

  ‘You’ve already saved my life, Rick.’

  ‘Which means I’m now responsible for it.’ He smiled. ‘If there’s anything else I can do for you – anything – just let me know.’

  ‘I will.’ Kelsey looked into his large, sincere eyes. ‘Thank you, Rick. For everything.’

  Kelsey decided to throw herself into tackling plans for the Sanderson property. Originally built by Jacob Sanderson as a furniture factory in the early 1950s, the property had passed from Jacob to his son and then his grandson, who ten years ago had moved the successful furniture-manufacturing business to a large new building on the outskirts of Louisville and deeded the old factory to his own son, Aaron. Aaron Sanderson and his wife Josie were young, attractive and fun, and two of Kelsey’s favorite people. She’d known Aaron for years and was thrilled when the couple had asked her to turn the old factory into a modern industrial-style home for them and their three children, who ranged in age between ten and sixteen.

  Peering through her reading glasses, Kelsey studied the three-dimensional design plans on her laptop as well as the architect’s blueprints. She frowned over the number and location of the six new rectangular skylights the Sandersons wanted on the building’s flat roof. The couple had argued hotly in front of Kelsey over light-filtering versus blackout remote-control blinds for the skylights and then about the size of a seventh dome skylight, which they wanted located on the roof above a three-story floating spiral stairway. Kelsey had worked with dozens of couples who’d nearly come to blows over the most simple design detail. Aaron and Josie were no different. Still, they had to stop bickering and decide soon. The skylight problem had to be solved and the job completed before interior work could begin as scheduled early next month.

  Someone tapped on Kelsey’s office door and she absently called, ‘Come in.’ One of her associates, Nina Evans, seven months pregnant and nearing maternity leave, opened the door with a big smile on her long, plain, but always animated face.

  Nina nearly tiptoed to Kelsey’s desk, leaned over it and whispered gleefully, ‘The most gorgeous, sexiest man I’ve ever seen is waiting to see you. I don’t think he’s a client.’ She paused as if waiting for Kelsey to guess the man’s name. Instead, Kelsey merely raised an eyebrow. ‘He said he’s Declan Adair. Declan.’ Nina patted her tummy. ‘My baby is a boy. I’m going to name him Declan no matter what Harry thinks. He’s just the father, after all.’ Nina giggled. ‘Should I send him in?’

  Kelsey forced a patient smile. ‘Yes, please.’

  ‘Are you mad at me? You look a little strange.’

  ‘I’ve been focused on skylights for what seems like hours and I always look mad when I’m wearing my glasses. Please send Mr Adair in.’

  ‘OK. But take off your glasses.’

  Without thought, Kelsey removed her tortoiseshell-rimmed glasses as Nina turned abruptly and left, clearly disappointed with Kelsey’s reaction to getting a ‘gorgeous’ male visitor.

  What in the name of God is Declan Adair going to say to me? Kelsey wondered as she laid her glasses aside. At least everyone is in the office today, but I still wish an authority figure like Pike was here. Or Rick, with his air of protector. She felt very much on edge, but wasn’t sure if that was to do with Pike’s warning or the prospect of Declan Adair’s intense gaze on her again.

  He appeared in the doorway. ‘Hello, Miss March.’

  ‘Hello … Mr Adair. Is that your real name? Or are you a chameleon, changing your colors to fit in with the environment?’

  ‘I suppose I deserve that. May I come in?’

  Kelsey hesitated. ‘I don’t know why you’re here, but yes. And close the door behind you. I don’t want my employees overhearing us.’

  ‘Good idea considering what the subject of our conversation will be,’ Adair said affably. He shut the door, then walked toward her and sat down on a guest chair across from her desk. He wore slim-fit dark-wash jeans and an off-white shirt, and looked just as handsome as he had at the funeral. For a moment he said nothing, silently appraising her. Kelsey couldn’t help feeling momentarily mesmerized by his light hair with blonde sun streaks, his tanned face, his piercing, electric-blue eyes, and his slender but sensuous lips. She had to agree with Nina – he was gorgeous, but in an easy, effortless way. He probably looked almost the same when he rolled out of bed in the morning.

  Kelsey narrowed her eyes. ‘You’re investigating me.’

  ‘Investigating this case, to be precise. I should have told you before I began, but you haven’t been available.’

  ‘I have a phone, Mr Adair.’

  ‘And I didn’t use it. Sorry. So
metimes I’m impetuous. I’m also sorry I let you believe I was Cole Harrington at your sister’s funeral,’ he began. ‘I never said I was Cole, though. You just assumed I was.’

  ‘And you didn’t correct me because you wanted to be invited into our home.’

  His expression wasn’t the least bit remorseful. ‘That’s true. But you don’t look surprised. I suppose Detective Pike has discovered what I do.’

  ‘You’re a private investigator. I’ve also learned you’ve been to Conway’s Tavern asking questions about me.’

  ‘I was just doing my job – trying to find out what happened that night. And I didn’t ask a lot of questions about you. Maybe two – three at the most. Who told you? Rick Conway?’

  ‘Yes. He wouldn’t know who Cole Harrington is, much less that you’re his half-brother.’

  ‘I didn’t announce it. It’s no one’s business, except maybe yours. That’s why I’ve come here to clear the slate with you.’ He smiled. ‘I’m three years younger than Cole.’

  ‘Congratulations.’

  ‘You’re angry with me.’

  ‘I don’t like the idea of a private investigator nosing around in my life.’

  ‘Even if he might help you?’

  ‘Even if.’ She gave him a hard stare. ‘If I’d listened to Lori’s description of Cole I would have known you weren’t him. She said his eyes were almost the same shade of violet-blue as hers. Yours are more sapphire. She said he had a scar on his jaw – you don’t – and she said he was six feet tall. You’re taller.’

  ‘I’m six-two.’

  ‘Good for you.’ If Declan had come here to smooth the waters, she wasn’t going to make it easy. ‘Lorelei told me that Grant Harrington had several children but only gave his surname to Cole. If you’re three years younger than Cole, Grant must have moved on from Cole’s mother to yours.’

  Declan’s striking blue eyes rested on her for a moment, before he looked at the framed poster on the wall behind her. ‘Is that Amelia Earhart standing on the nose cone of her plane?’